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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — a container
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com